The Munich Security Conference continues to be a key forum for global leaders to address pressing international issues. This year’s event saw discussions centered on European independence, the state of the US-Europe alliance, and ongoing conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.
Will Europe ‘wake up’ to a changing world?
European leaders entered this year’s conference with a sense of urgency following what many described as a critical assessment of their values by a US vice-president in 2025. Prior to the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a “moment of awakening” for Europe.
Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz outlined plans for a new, independent path for European powers, while also seeking to maintain the alliance with Washington. Both leaders announced the commencement of talks regarding a European nuclear deterrent.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer advocated for a closer defence relationship with Europe, stating his country was “not the Britain of the Brexit years.” Starmer emphasized that strengthened ties with Europe would not weaken the UK-US relationship or NATO.
Can the US and Europe remain united?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio adopted a more conciliatory tone than the US vice-president’s address in 2025. He stated, “[The US is] deeply tied to Europe, and our futures have always been linked and will continue to be.”
Rubio outlined the US’s intention, under the current administration, to build a new world order, adding, “We are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, [but] it is our preference and it is our hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe.”
His speech followed a YouGov poll indicating that favourability towards the US among the six largest European countries was at its lowest point in a decade.
“A rift has opened up between Europe and the United States,” Merz said during his speech. He further distinguished European values from the “culture war of the Maga movement,” stating, “Freedom of speech ends here with us when that speech goes against human dignity and the constitution. We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas criticized “fashionable euro-bashing” from the US, asserting, “When I travel around the world, I see countries that look up to us because we represent values that are still highly regarded.”
Does Trump still want Greenland?
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen held a 15-minute meeting with Rubio, which Frederiksen described as “constructive.”
However, Frederiksen later told a panel discussion that she believes Donald Trump still desires to own Greenland, despite recently scaling back threats to seize it by force. “Everybody asks us, do we think it’s over? I mean, no, we don’t think it’s over,” Frederiksen said.
A US-Denmark-Greenland working group has been established to address Washington’s security concerns in the Arctic, but Frederiksen and Nielsen expressed that the pressure on Greenland’s people has been “unacceptable.”
Is peace in Ukraine any closer?
Rubio did not participate in a Ukraine-focused meeting with European leaders and offered limited comments on the conflict with Russia in his speech, but he did meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the conference.
The US is scheduled to host a trilateral meeting involving the warring sides on Tuesday. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is “doing everything” to end the war, emphasizing the necessity of viable security guarantees for a peace deal.
“The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed in the context only of Ukraine,” he said. He called for a minimum of 20 years of security guarantees from the US and a clear timeline for Ukraine’s EU membership.
Which future Democratic hopefuls were there?
The Munich Security Conference has increasingly served as a platform for potential future US presidential nominees to establish their foreign policy credentials. This year, several prominent Democrats urged European leaders to stand up to Donald Trump. California Governor Gavin Newsom, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer were in attendance, with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez receiving significant attention and sparking speculation about a potential 2028 White House run.
Ocasio-Cortez presented what she termed an “alternative vision” for a leftwing US foreign policy, accusing Trump of dismantling the transatlantic alliance and promoting an “age of authoritarianism.”
When questioned about whether the Democratic party’s next presidential nominee should reconsider military aid to Israel, Ocasio-Cortez stated that “the idea of completely unconditional aid no matter what one does, does not make sense.”
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